Worcester mayor proposes Ed Augustus as interim city manager

WORCESTER — In a surprise move, the City Council is poised to hire a person from outside City Hall as an interim successor to outgoing City Manager Michael V. O'Brien.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty Tuesday night proposed that the council appoint former state Sen. Edward M. Augustus Jr. as acting city manager for up to nine months, effective Jan. 6.

Mr. Petty also proposed that the council's Municipal Operations Committee meet in executive session with Mr. Augustus to negotiate a short-term contract and that it report back to the entire council no later than Dec. 10.

While 10 of the 11 city councilors spoke in favor of Mr. Augustus' hiring, many in glowing terms, the mayor's motion was put on hold for one week.

Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes exercised her privilege under the council's rules to table the matter until the next meeting.

Mrs. Lukes said she had reservations about "politicians electing another politician" to a position that is supposed to be non-political.

In addition to serving in the state Senate for two terms, Mr. Augustus has served as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, and he managed Mr. McGovern's re-election campaign in 2010.

A Worcester native, Mr. Augustus served on the School Committee, worked for the Department of Education in the Clinton administration and was executive director of the Children's Defense Fund of California.

Since 2011, Mr. Augustus has directed the office of government and community relations at the College of the Holy Cross. He is credited with playing a major role in improving town-gown relations between Holy Cross and the city.

Mr. Petty said he gave a lot of thought about who would be best to succeed Mr. O'Brien on an interim basis and concluded that Mr. Augustus best fits the bill.

"He works well with every part of the community, including the nonprofits and private sector," the mayor said.

Mr. Petty said his decision to seek out someone from outside City Hall is no reflection on any of those currently working in the city administration.

He added that he was concerned about the number of people who are leaving City Hall, either retiring or taking jobs elsewhere, and that moving another person within the administration to serve as acting city manager would only compound the problem.

There had been speculation that Kathleen G. Johnson, acting assistant city manager for operations, and Timothy P. McGourthy, the city's chief development officer, would be leading candidates for the interim job.

But Ms. Johnson told city councilors this week that she was not interested in the interim appointment, while it was announced Tuesday that Mr. McGourthy is leaving City Hall to become executive director of The Research Bureau.

District 2 Councilor Philip P. Palmieri praised the mayor's "bold" decision to make an unexpected choice, comparing it to 2004 when the City Council surprised many when it appointed Mr. O'Brien, who was then the city's parks and recreation commissioner, as acting city manager to succeed Thomas R. Hoover.

Mr. Palmieri said Mr. Augustus' appointment would be "a win" for the city because of his experience and background. He said it would also enable the City Council to take its time in hiring a permanent successor to Mr. O'Brien.

"We need time to make the right decision for this community," he said. "I applaud the mayor for making an extraordinarily difficult decision."

District 5 Councilor William J. Eddy said he has known Mr. Augustus for three decades and said hiring him as acting city manager would be a step in the right direction for the city.

"I have great faith in the mayor's judgment," Mr. Eddy said.

Meanwhile, Councilor-at-Large Frederick C. Rushton said Mr. Augustus' appointment is "what is best for Worcester right now, given the facts and time constraints" facing the City Council. He even suggested that his appointment be made in the 6- to 12-month range instead of just nine months.

He acknowledged, however, that the "elephant in the room" is the fact that Mr. Augustus is an elected Democrat. None of the city's five city managers has ever held elected office before becoming the city's chief executive.

"Ed Augustus is not a politician; he's a leader," Mr. Rushton said. "His disposition is perfect for the job at hand. He is level-headed; he doesn't get too high, and he doesn't get too low. We'll be lucky, if he accepts this job, to have him."

But Mrs. Lukes raised questions about the message the City Council would be sending to potential applicants for the city manager's job when it hires a person with no management experience and who has ties to local politicians.

"Are personal and political alliances more important than working knowledge of the city government and its people?" Mrs. Lukes asked. "People are going to look at the connections involved with this and ask who is really running this city; that will be a normal reaction."

Mr. Augustus was not present at the council meeting. But in a statement issued Tuesday night, he said: "I'm very appreciative of the confidence expressed by many members of the City Council in me tonight."

He said he would withhold further comment until the process is concluded.

Mr. O'Brien announced last week that he is resigning Jan. 5 to take a job with Boston-based WinnCompanies.